Adjustable lettering device



(No Model.)

'L. A. GATES.

ADJUSTABLE. LETTERING DEVICE. No. 445,750. Patented Feb. 3,1891

Fig .1

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

LEWIS A. GATES, OF SAN FRANCISCO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY J. POSTEL, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

ADJUSTABLE LETTERING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,750, dated February 3, 18191.

Application filed March 17, 1890. Serial No. 344,218. (No model.) 7

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS A. GATES, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Adjustable Lettering Devices; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to whatI term an adjustable lettering device.

It consists of a frame-work having a series of horizontal parallel wires, and in connection therewith of letters, figures, or characters having flexible extensions or spurs, which are bent over so as to engage the wires and hold the letters or characters at any desired point.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure l is a face view of my device. Fig. 2 is a rear view of one of the letters, showing the means for fastening.

A is a closed frame, which may be made of any suitable or desired dimensions, bounded by thefour sides, as shown, and B is a series of slender wires, which are stretched horizontally parallel with each other from side to side of the frame.

0 G are letters, which are formed bystamping or cutting out of brass or other sheet metal or suitable material, and they are made with projecting points or tongues D at the top and bottom of each letter. These tongues are formed at such a distance apart that when they are bent over behind the letter they will hook over the wires B, and will thus hold the letters in place upon the wires.

It will be manifest that these letters may be placed upon the wires in any desired position, so as to form signs or other advertising or ornamental work. They are easily removed by simplycompressing the wires upon which anyletter is hooked toward each other, when they may be unhooked and taken off and their posit-ions changed or other letters substituted for them. By this construction any style of letter or any change of sign may be had, the frames being always useful for any sign that it may be desired to make.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of a frame bounded by four sides and having wires fixed in two of said sides and extending parallel with each other from end to end of the frame, and metallic letters having projecting tongues at the top and bottom only, said tongues being formed integral with the letters and adapted to be bent over the wires, whereby the letters are secured in place and adjusted along the wires, as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LEWIS A. GATES.

Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, H. 0. LEE. 

